Windows shortcut keys are pre-defined keyboard combinations that allow users to perform various tasks and functions quickly and efficiently within the Windows operating system. Shortcut keys enable users to execute commands and navigate the system faster than using a mouse or touchpad. Windows shortcut keys may provide an alternative way to execute commands or access system functions that are normally restricted or blocked through traditional menus and interfaces. That’s why in some cases, it may be worthwhile to disable Windows keystrokes all together. You can do this using either Group Policy or Intune.

Disabling Windows Shortcut Keys using Group Policy

To disable Windows shortcut keystrokes in Group Policy you can create a GPO using the Group Policy Management Console. Then use Group Policy Editor and navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer and enable the policy setting titled “Turn off Windows key hotkeys” as shown in the screenshot below.

Then assign the GPO to the applicable users or groups.

Disabling Windows Shortcut Keys using Intune

You can also achieve the same result using the Microsoft Intune Admin Center. Navigate to Devices > Configuration profiles and click on create profile. Select Windows 10 and later as the platform and choose the Custom template. Enter a name for the profile and then add the following OMA-URI settings:

• Name: Enter a name for the setting.
• Description: Provide a description (optional).
• OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/KeyboardFilter/Enable
• Data type: Select Integer.
• Value: Enter 1 to enable Keyboard Filter.

Then assign the policy towards the designated users or groups and save it.

Dev Drive is a new feature in Windows 11 designed to enhance performance for developers. It provides a specialized storage volume optimized for tasks like cloning repositories, building code, and copying files. Dev Drive is built on Microsoft's Resilient File System (ReFS) technology and offers improved performance and data integrity compared to NTFS. It also provides enhanced control over storage volume settings and security, including trust designation, antivirus configuration, and administrative control over attached filters.  You can learn more about Dev Drive and how to create it here in this article.

You will need to create a policy first that allows the creation of Dev Drive storage volumes on Windows 11 devices. When enabled, users with appropriate permissions can create and use Dev Drives. 

How to Enable Dev Drive using Group Policy

Create a GPO and use the Open the Local Group Policy Editor. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Filesystem and enable the Enable dev drive" policy as shown in the screenshot below:

Note that the optional antivirus filter setting ensures that antivirus protection remains active on Dev Drives, even if local administrators attempt to detach it. Once enabled, assign the policy to your DevOps users for policy deployment.

How to Enable Dev Drive using Intune

Using the Microsoft Intune Admin Center, you will navigate to Devices > Configuration > Create > New Policy. Select Windows 10 and later as the Platform and Administrative Templates as the Profile type. Now go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Filesystem just like the Group Policy example. The screenshot below shows the configured settings:

Users are creatures of habit. They expect things a certain way and when they aren’t, they often call the help desk. For years, users have been accustomed to the Windows taskbar and Start button tucked in the left-hand corner of the screen. Thus, the default position of the Windows 11 start menu in the center may throw some for a loop. There is an easy way to fix this as an individual user using the Personalization tab in the Settings menu. To do this for all your users requires a policy and here are two ways to do it.  Each involves making a change to the registry.

Group Policy Preferences

We need to add a value called "TaskbarAl" that will reside in the following registry key path:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

It will be assigned a value “0”.

Using the Group Policy Management Editor go to User Configuration > Preferences > Registry.  Right click and choose New > Registry Item.  Then fill out the property fields as shown in the screenshot below.

If you want to deploy the setting using Microsoft Endpoint Manager you will have to do it using a PowerShell script.  There are multiple ways to write the necessary script but below is one approach. This script format makes it easy to add other Start Menu and Taskbar values to the same registry location.

# Move the Windows 11 Taskbar to left

#_____________________________________________________________________________________

$registryPath = "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced"

$Al = "TaskbarAl" # Shift Start Menu Left

$value = "0"

New-ItemProperty -Path $registryPath -Name $Al -Value $value -PropertyType DWORD -Force -ErrorAction Ignore

Paste the script into PowerShell ISE and save it. Using Microsoft Endpoint Manager go to Devices > Scripts.  Click Add and select Windows 10 and later.  Name the policy and upload the script in the next screen as shown in the screenshot below.

Now assign the script to the designated group(s) and complete the wizard.  Be patient because it can take a little while for the script to force the bar to move over. It may seem like a trivial matter but it may save you some support calls.

I came upon this cool little app the other day and wanted to share it.  It is a Windows 10 privacy tool called Spydish.  It’s a very small app that you can download from the developer’s GitHub site.  It runs as an EXE file so there’s not installation necessary.  The premise of the app is straightforward as it simply checks if privacy related policies are enabled on your Windows 10 machine.  It also gives you the option to enable any of the included settings or return them to their default state.  The application can only be run locally so you cannot use it to access privacy settings of remote machines.  It doesn’t require Group Policy so you can run it on a Windows 10 Home version.  While you wouldn’t use it to manage the privacy settings of your enterprise fleet of laptops, it’s a quick way to see which privacy settings are set on a designated Windows 10 system and modify them.   

Once opened, Spydish lists a series of privacy related policies in a sidebar on the left.  Settings are grouped in different categories such as Privacy, Cortana, Bloatware, App Permissions, etc.  You can choose the entire allotment of Local Computer Policies, a selected group or groups or pick individual settings.  Then click the Analyze button as is shown in the screenshot below.  A readout appears almost instantly, showing the current settings for each policy. 

As easy as it is to obtain the current state of your privacy settings, it is just as easy to apply or revert them.  In the screenshot below I have selected the Microsoft Edge group of settings.  As you can see, none of the settings are currently configured.  Now simply click the “Apply selected” button as is shown below.

Spydish will then apply all of the settings as shown here.

Clicking “Revert selected will revert any settings back to their default state.  While users can modify Windows 10 privacy settings manually, Spydish is a way to get the job done quick and effortless.  Check it out.  

So, okay.. you don't want to log on with your Domain Admin credentials to Mr. End User's machine.

Doing so increases the risk of Pass the Hash attacks.

My pal Aaron Margosis from Microsoft shows how you can use Group Policy to block logins from anyone EXCEPT local admins.

AND, because you're using LAPS to maintain local admin passwords, only that account can log on.

Brilliant.

Here's the blog entry to increase your security:

https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/secguide/2018/12/10/remote-use-of-local-accounts-laps-changes-everything/

This is a yearly re-post / re-edit. It started in 2009 and has been updated yearly. This started out as a post to just my closest friends but has become one of my popular blog entries of all time. Here’s my fully updated guide to end-of-year 2018 into 2019.

Quick updates for 2018-2019:

• Snapdragon "Always on / Always Connected" PCs
• What is M.2 storage?
• Jeremy's laptop update ... one year later... after 7 years with his old one.
• The laptop I use around the office for regular people (Spoiler alert.. it's NOT a Dell).

—

If you’re an IT geek like me, you’re often asked “What kind of laptop should I buy?”

If you’re NOT an IT geek, you’re likely asking an IT geek friend “What kind of laptop should I buy?”

This is a guide for both of you.

If you’re in IT, this question might not directly affect you, since many IT organizations dole out laptops to the whole staff, including you. However, since you’re seen walking around with a laptop, or have that geeky-vibe about you, I’m guessing you’ve been asked more than once “What kind of laptop should I buy?”

You might be tempted to say “Buy a Macbook” – if only for the reason that you DON’T have a Macbook, and therefore would be unable to help the person in the future. (See this for the example of the problem: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/computers) That being said, Macbooks are pretty awesome, and if you want to real work on a Macbook, you can do that. That’s just not the point of this article. This is about how to buy a Windows PC laptop. Macs are great, if you want to go there.

If you’re NOT in IT, your problems are substantial too. If you ask three geeks, you might get THREE answers.

With that in mind, here’s “Jeremy’s Guide to Buying a new PC-based Laptop in 2017-2018.” Again, there are a LOT of ways someone COULD do this task. This is what I send to people in my inner circle (friends, family, etc.) when I get the question.

Seriously. I just email them a link to this blog entry, and .. I’m done.

These suggestions should be “good enough” for the common man / woman / student for the foreseeable near term future. Any one person’s particular needs may vary, but you, the IT Pro, should be able to “print out and hand over” these suggestions and have them work for about 90+% of the people you come in contact with.

If you’re NOT an IT geek, you’re looking at the Internet and catalogs and think that desktop and laptops could be “infinitely configured.”

And you don’t have time for that. You want to get back to real work. So, here is a document you can send to anyone who has ever asked that question with some “straight dope answers.”

Yes: This document is long. But, you want to make a GOOD decision which will last you the next 2-4 years, right? So, just read it. Really READ it. Then go shopping.

Jeremy’s Guide to Buying a new PC-based Laptop in 2019

We’re going to answer some questions here like:

• Laptop or Ultrabook ?
• What "Chip" should I get in my laptop?
• Laptop or iPad or Surface (Windows Tablet)?
• Should I get a $200 Windows laptop?
• What is / should I get a Microsoft Surface?
• What’s the deal with Android Tablets and Google Chromebook Laptops?
• iPad Pro? Will that work for me?
• Where can I get good deals?
• What kind of hardware (and warranty) should I get?
• Should I get Windows 10 or hunt down a laptop with Windows 7?
• Should I get 32-bit or 64-bit?

Part I: Laptop, Ultrabook or Netbook ?

To make sure we all understand the marketing vocabulary you’re likely to encounter as you go to buy a machine:

• Laptops: You know what a laptop is.
• Ultrabook: Just like a laptop, but thinner and lighter.

For most people, they want Laptops. They’re mid priced, mid weight and have a full sized keyboard.

If you pay a little more, you can get an Ultrabook, which is just like a laptop — except lighter.

I think there are a ton of great options out there where you don’t have buy a HEAVY laptop, or buy an EXPENSIVE Ultrabook.

Said another way, you can get a great laptop, which approaches the weight of an Ultrabook, at a “Laptop cost.”

Part II:  Non-Windows tablets (iPad, Android, Chromebooks)

Before we talk about ACTUAL laptops, let’s take a quick turn and chat about your “second” device.

In fact, you might be thinking “Maybe I don’t need a laptop at all, and instead, I’ll just get an iPad, iPad Pro, or Chromebook.” And, what’s the deal with “Microsoft Surface?”

In short, nothing beats a laptop for ACTUAL WORK.

The iPad can be FORCED into a device that can help kinda-sorta help you to do ACTUAL WORK. There’s the iPad, iPad Mini and “jumbo” iPad Pro which.. is just a REALLY BIG iPad and pen with some specialty apps to help you try to do ACTUAL WORK. 

But honestly, I’ve tried a lot of stuff, and NOTHING BEATS A LAPTOP for ACTUAL WORK.

For me, I tend to use my iPad Mini when on the airplane and on the road, watching movies and quick dash emails. 

The bonus of a laptop over an iPad is… its just better at creating and editing documents. Yes, you CAN create documents, deliver slideshows, or make a spreadsheet on an iPad. For me, when it comes to creating content, even simple emails… I need a keyboard. Yes, yes, you can get Bluetooth keyboards that sync with the iPad (and I have one), but still the content creation software and experience isn’t the same as a Netbook, laptop or desktop.

That being said, you might have a friend who "gets away with" having an iPad instead of a laptop. Indeed, Apple tried to suggest this was possible with this ad (link to video).. where a child in the future doesn't even understand te concept of a computer. Spoiler alert: Most people completely hate this ad.

So, here’s my verdict if you want a “Not Full Windows Machine”:

• If I had “real work” to do, and had to only pick one travel machine for the next 5 years, then, sorry iPad, I’d have to go laptop.
• If I’m sitting on a beach, bus or couch and want to read, game, surf or NetFlix.. I use my iPad.

How about Android Tablets? Are those good choices?

Possibly. So, I’m (personally) not a huge fan of the current Android world. But I actually believe it’s a very personal choice / taste.

But, I actually recognize I’m in the minority.

That is, apparently more portable devices run Android than anything else out there. But I don’t own one, so I can’t personally recommend it.

I will say that Android devices (Phones and tablets) seem to get a lot of viruses and crap that iPads simply do not. For that reason alone, I wouldn’t recommend them to most people.

If you’ve got a friend with one, ask to play around on it. But even if I loved it, I’m not sure I’d want it as my only content-creation machine.

What’s the deal with the “Google Chromebook Laptop”?

Whew. This is a tough one. So, non-IT folks… stick with me here.

Every year I get a lot of comments telling me that I don’t give Google Chromebooks enough “discussion.”

Fine. Okay.. Here’s the Wall Street Journal article entitled “You can ditch your PC now” which demonstrates for some people its possible to use a Chromebook for many (most) tasks.

Google has a “full size laptop thing” running an OS called the Chrome OS.

Here’s the deal: It has no hard drive, and ALMOST everything you do is in the cloud. Meaning, really, that when you save stuff you’re saving to a website which stores your stuff for later access.

• Does it run Windows applications? No.
• Does it run Mac applications? No.
• Does it run iPad apps? No.
• Does it run Android apps?  See below.
• Might you want one anyway? Possibly.

A recent addition to the Android arsenal is the new idea where SOME Chromebooks can run Android apps. Here’s a list of currently supported devices. Of course I don’t maintain that list and who knows when it gets updated.

But that’s kind-of-sort of interesting for me, if there was some key application I wanted to use while in my submarine or the WiFi goes down.

Back to their core usage: Where are these Chromebook devices GREAT? In school (K-12) environments. They run Google apps and all the Google-y stuff you already use.

So teachers just give ‘em to students and if they break? O well. There’s nothing stored on them anyway. Since the Internet is always on (usually) in the school, it makes a lot of sense there.

For me, though, it’s not how I want to work. But some people can and do use a Google Chromebook is their “daily driver” for all things. And with the addition of Android apps you can take on-the-go with you, it’s a serious iPad contender and possible laptop replacement for some.

But not me personally. I have several friends who love them and give them to their parents as their “daily driver” for all things. In fact, I tried this.. I tried to suggest to an "older friend" to give a Chromebook a try, but she didn't love it. I'm not exactly sure why.. but maybe it was just too different from her usual (old) experience and went back to Windows.

Okay: Back to laptops and Netbooks.

Part III: Which laptop brand should I get?

Read this part first, before we get to the “Should I try really hard to get Windows 7 on my laptop” section. We’ll answer that in a minute.

Okay: Here’s the thing about all laptops. All of them: basically, they’re all the same.

Shocker, I know. But so are cars. They are all basically, almost exactly, 99% the same. Some of the “differences” might be:

• Extra ports or USB 3.0 vs. USB 2.0.
• USB “C” port(s). (None of my laptops have this, and I do just fine, thank you very much.)
• One or two “video chips” (don’t get me started).
• Keyboard twists / converts to make it a tablet.
• Keyboard snaps off to make it a tablet.
• Keyboard doesn’t exist at all (so it *IS* a tablet) and you ADD a keyboard.
• Some are a little faster or a little slower.
• Some are heavier. Others are lighter.
• Some have 10-key keypads build in and some do not.
• Some have BIG power supplies (which add to the overall weight of travel). Others have small wee ones.
• Some are “bigger” and have a full sized keyboard. Others are smaller (Netbooks.)
• Some laptops have touch screens, some do not.

But… again 99% of all laptops running Windows are EXACTLY the same “guts” and what they’re capable of.

Since they all do the same basic thing, for the MAJORITY of “Joe and Jane users” you almost CANNOT GO WRONG in buying a new laptop nowadays.

This is going to sound totally weird, but my primary suggestion to prospective buyers of laptops and desktops is: UNDERSTAND THE WARRANTY.

We’ll cover this in the next part of this talk.

Of course, you’re also looking for a good deal. So, here are my top five deals for anyone looking for a computer:

1. New Dell Inspiron laptops. They’re cheap, decent, fast, and have Dell’s warranty (again, more on this in a second.) Click here to see them. I wouldn’t recommend _all_ of them. Some of them have the “wrong” processor type. (again, more on this in a second.) And this year and until I'm dead, I’m recommending ONLY disks without moving parts (SSD) .. again, more on this in a bit.

2. Dell Factory Outlet  This is Dell’s “island of lost toys.” This usually mans “Jane Doe couldn’t afford her new laptop for her son Johnny Doe after all, so she sent it back after 9 days of light use.” It doesn’t really mean “It was dropped, so it’s now crap.”  Even if it did, Dell still puts an original warranty on everything they sell there, which is the most important part of owning a laptop. I’ve literally bought 4 Dell laptops using the Outlet store.

3. Tigerdirect.com and NewEgg. They do sell new computers, but also “fell off the truck, if ya know what I mean”, off-lease (meaning, used) or are market closeouts in some way. But, holymoly.. lots and lots of awesome deals here. I promise you won’t find better deals than Tigerdirect. You will get the MOST bang for your buck, especially if you’re looking for something “higher end” at “lower cost.” But here’s the trick: Tigerdirect doesn’t warranty these. They’re always “factory direct warranties” whatever that means. And since they sell all brands, I don’t know what to tell you – even if you find a great deal. You’ll have to manually inspect the warranty yourself, call the company and see what their story is. Don’t expect Tigerdirect to help you when you have a problem. They sell it to you. They mail it to you. That’s the extent of your relationship.

4. Retail: Best Buy, hhGregg, Office Max, Office Depot, Staples: Even if they swore “up and down” that they had the most amazing warranty of all time, PLUS a killer deal  I still wouldn’t buy the computer and warranty from any of them. Plain and simple: There are KIDS working in these stores, and this is YOUR business / personal laptop. Sorry, but I can’t trust any of these outfits with my most precious business instrument. Not to mention that these kinds of stores turn over equipment types and makes and models so, so quickly. Will the kid behind the desk know what to do when you bring yours in from 1.5 years ago?

5. Other Internet sites: NewEgg.com, Buy.Com, Woot.com and others. Again almost always ONLY manufacturer’s warranty or some kind of 30-90 day only warranty. Again, not my cup of tea... as a RECOMMENDATION for most people. (More on this later.)

Part IV: Understanding the warranty (the most important part of your laptop.)

Let’s talk about Dell, specifically, for a second though. Why have I, historically, always owned a Dell laptop? (But, read all the way to the end about why I personally use Lenovo laptops. Trust me: This makes sense if you read all the way to the end.)

Simple. Dell's warranty is easy for my pea-brain to understand.

Here’s how it works:

• The default warranty is 1 year if something “dies.” Examples are: Power supply, screen goes blank, USB port dies, whatever. You call up. They try to fix it over the phone.
• If it needs a part you can replace (ie: battery, mouse, removable DVD drive) they ship it to you; you replace it yourself. You put the broken part in a pre-paid box back to them, and drop it in the mail. You are done.
• If it needs a part you can’t replace (laptop screen, motherboard) the part is shipped “overnight” to a “regional center.” Then when the part arrives, the center calls you and you schedule a time to get your machine fixed.
• For a little extra money when you buy your laptop, you can get 3 years on-site (ie: they come to you) coverage.
• For a little “extra extra”, you can get “I spilled coffee directly in it”, “I dropped it hard on a marble floor” or “I dropped it in a lake” insurance, which will cover things like that. Really. At least that’s what they say.

Now.. with that said: I, with my pea-brain, can understand this warranty structure, and can embrace what it means.

To be clear: This warranty structure doesn’t mean “my problem will be fixed in 24 hours.” (Especially on a Thursday or Friday.)

It means: “We (Dell) spring to action right away… If you called us with your problem after 2.00 PM or so, then we’re going to miss Mr. DHL delivery dude for today. So, we’ll have to ship it tomorrow then it will (usually) get to the local repair depot the next business (shipping) day. And when it arrives, then you’ll get a call. Only after the part arrives at the local depot center, will we call you and schedule an appointment for up to 24 hours after that.”

That’s the deal.

So don’t expect your warranty coverage to mean “your problem will be fixed within 24 hours.” Expect them to get started on your problem right away and have it fixed 24 hours AFTER the part is in the hands of the depot.

So, because I ‘get’ the deal, I usually recommend Dell. It’s the “warranty-devil” I know, and I’m totally cool with that deal.

That said, I always recommend Dells to Joes and Janes when they ask me what laptop to get because:

• 99% of the any laptop you get is exactly the same and
• I can EXPLAIN the warranty to them and ..
• They can decide if that’s what they want.

I cannot OVER-EMPHASIZE how important UNDERSTANDING your laptop’s warranty and restrictions are. This is literally, the #1 factor you should choose in buying a laptop.

Again: I’ve described Dell’s warranty service above. If you want to check out other manufacturer’s warranties, great. I’m just giving you my personal experience with Dell and warranties.

Part V: “How much laptop do I, a regular person, need?”

If you’re planning on: Surfing, Facebook, using Microsoft Office, Google Docs, Gmail, Hotmail, Office 365, NetFlix, Skype and other usual stuff you’ve got what I call “modest needs.”

If you’re running some high powered stuff like Quark, World Of Warcraft (or other high end games), Final Cut, Movie Maker, VMware Workstation, HyperV, Autocad, Camtasia Studio or Mathemetica, you might need more than what I’ve listed here.

Now, before we get into this, there’s a handful of.. holycow.. NEW $200 full Windows laptops out there. (Here’s an older Wall Street Journal Entry on them. And here’s a LaptopMag.com article from 2017 on sub-$200 laptops) And here's an article for 2018 from Best Laptops World for computers under $200. But … they FAIL the “sniff test.” Read the article, then also read my discussion on Chip Type.. right here.

So, here’s my answer for your “modest needs” person.

CPU Chip type and speed:

Here’s the dirty little secret the laptop manufactures don’t want you to know: This almost doesnt matter. Or said another way, you almost cannot go wrong. Here are my suggestions:

Regular Intel Chips: i3 / i5 / i7

Intel’s chip lines are the Intel Core i3, i5 and i7s. The i3 is usually the best bang for the buck but I wouldn’t turn down the higher model i5s or i7s. Again, i3 (any speed) will be perfectly fine for almost anyone. Get the i5s if you can afford it. The i7s are almost certainly overkill for almost everyone.

Intel Celerons (Avoid at all costs)

Avoid “Intel Celerons” at all costs. None are acceptable. Ever. This is why you don’t want to buy the $200 HP Stream 11 laptop .

See the above line: NEVER EVER buy a laptop with an Intel Celeron. EVER.  

ATOM Processor

I would also avoid anything with Intel ATOM. They’ll run all Windows apps. But slower. The PLUS side is that battery life is greater on these, but definitely slower than the Intel “i” series I mentioned above.

Snapdragon Laptops (new for 2018-2019)

New for 2018-2019, there's a new choice on the block ... in a chip called Snapdragon. If this word maybe sounds familiar to you, it's because many phones utilize Snapdragon processors. They are very low power, which means you get pretty insane battery life. Snapdragon laptops are closer to ATOM processors than they are to Intel i3/i5/i7s. This is because all the software you're running has to convert everything from "Intel speak to Snapdragon speak."

They are considered "Always on, always connected." So even if you close the lid, they don't really go to sleep... they jusst "sip" power and will just be ready to rock when you re-open the lid. (Like an iPad works.)

The good news is that, by all accounts, Snapdragon PCs are pretty nifty and if you use your PC like I use my iPad... for checking web stuff, surfing, skyping, etc etc. If you use a PC like this, then a Snapdragon PC is a pretty good choice. There is a tradeoff: you have to sacrifice a speed drop, but you get a really big advantage of outrageous near all-day battery life. Well, that's the idea anyway. This fair review of a Snapdragon PC is not too, too glowing. These Snapdragon PCs are getting faster... but I'm not sure I would want it to be my daily driver. So... I'm not recommending it for students, and "worker bees" or people who create content and work for a living... yet. Maybe 2019 - 2020 or 2021 will be the year.

Gamer Laptops

Avoid all “gamer” laptops. Avoid due to the high price tag and low battery life and large power supply to lug around. And I've used some of these gamer laptops, and they don't really feel faster than what I'm using now for work-like stuff. I'm sure they do awesome on games. But I don't play games.

RAM:

The new modern standard is 8GB. You could get away with 4GB likely just fine. But if if you had an extra $40, get 8GB over 4GB.

Note that I am NOT recommending you get more than 8GB for most modest-needs users. If you happen to get MORE than 8GB of RAM, bully for you, but you likely will never really need or use it.

Hard drive:

There are fivekinds of hard drives now:

• Spinning disks (the kind we’ve had for years)
• SSD disks which have no moving parts at all and
• eMMC drives (also have no moving parts at all)
• Hybrids which are spinning disks with some extra SSD stuff slapped on.
• M.2 disks which are like SSD disks, and look like little sticks of Wrigley's gum. These are generally faster than SSD disks, aren't needed for most mere mortals. Standard SSD disks are just fine.

Note that the older spinning disks are still found in 50% of all laptops. These are typically labeled SATA, but that's kind of a misnomer. SATA is the interface... so a SATA interface might connect wither a traditional spinning disk -or- an SSD disk. So, read the fine print and verify what you're getting when you see "SATA": are you getting a spinning disk (connected via SATA)? or are you getting an SSD disk (connected via SATA)?

I would avoid spinning disks in total now, and opt only for the SSD  or M.2s (which has no moving parts.) The catch however is that SSD and M.2 disks are more expensive than older spinning disks (for the same amount of space.) Manufacturers used to only have small SSDs for some reason; now they’re finally getting their acts together and you can go pretty big. Avoid eMMC drives, which are found in PCs as well; these kinds of drives are made for phones' storage, but sometimes PC makers will put them in PCs. Don't use eMMC drives if possible.

In short getting an SSD (or M.2)  vs. spinning disks is going to be the greatest one thing you can do to make your laptop (even your old, crappy 3 year old laptop) feel insanely fast. More on SSD disks a little later.

Video card / chip:

Unless you’re playing games, it doesn’t matter.

Really.

Even if you’re planning on watching NetFlix or Hulu, or playing Mindcraft, those kinds of apps really don’t care about your video chip / card much.

Even on my super old crappy 8 year old Netbook, I am able to see full screen videos (wirelessly!) without any issue with a good network connection.

Avoid laptops which tout “multiple” or “two” video chips. These give you extra headaches for almost NO VALUE to the mere mortal.

Screen Size / Resolution & Touch:

Look for something with WXGA or WXGA+ resolution. This can mean 1280×720 and up, which is decent on a laptop. 

In a total surprise, I find Microsoft Surface laptops to have "too much" resolution and too insane on my eyes. I'm over 40, and.. well, that means my eyes are just so-so. I would test-drive any laptop and make sure the resolution works for you. Of course this is adjustable in software / Windows.. but sometimes Windows looks lousy when not at the uppermost maximum resolution.

Some laptops don’t have touch screens. You might as well get a touch-enabled laptop, since things do appear to be getting “touch-ier.” That being said, as I write this year’s revised article, the two laptops I own; neither has a touch screen.

Wireless Network Card:

All laptops have built-in Wireless cards. You don’t have to get all worried if you don’t have the fastest wireless card.

Ideally, look for one that has “n” in the spec, like 802.11n to get the fastest. Note that 802.11n isn’t actually the fastest thing out there. It’s actually 802.11AC but I think only a handful of laptop manufacturers put 802.11AC chips built into their notebooks (Asus being one of them).

Part VI: Picking the OS. Windows 10, Windows 10 S and Windows 7 

So, let me start out by saying it’s really, really hard to get a new laptop WITHOUT Windows 10 on it.

There really isn’t any compelling reason to get Windows 7 anymore anyway. Windows 10 is the “last” version of Windows, but it will constantly upgraded and updated with new features every few months.

In short, you pretty much have to get it.. so just get it… UNLESS your business or school or something requires you to have Windows 7 and NOT Windows 10. Besides, Windows 7 support ends January of 2020.. so I would avoid Windows 7. It's hard to find now on new machines anyway, so, just go Windows 10 and be done with it. 

My advice for “normal people” would be to spring for a machine with Windows 10 Pro.

Why not “Windows 10 Home?” It’s Cheaper right?

Right. But it’s missing ONE KEY feature I think everyone should be using, which is BITLOCKER Full Disk Encryption. And that is not within Windows 10 Home, so, for me.. it’s a non-starter.

Note: My geeky friends will notice Windows 10 Enterprise isn’t on this list, because they are NOT sold with NEW machines are only available to IT departments.

This chart is excellent to see what you get in which edition (left most columns): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_10_editions 

Note also that some new laptops might come with Windows 7 or Windows 8 or 8.1 pre-loaded. It depends on the manufacturer if you get “Windows 10 Ugprade rights.” I would just skip all of this and get Windows 10 Pro.

Now: There’s another new kid on the block with Windows. Windows 10S. Windows 10S comes pre-loaded on some laptops and here’s the deal:

• You can only install stuff from the Windows 10 Store.
• You can only use Microsoft Edge as your browser
• You cannot “download any application from the Internet” (like .MSI or EXE apps) and expect it to run. It won’t.
• You can UPGRADE from Windows10S one time to Windows 10Pro if you purchase a upgrade license.
• You CANNOT DOWNGRADE from Windows 10Pro backward to Windows 10S.

So, why does Windows 10S exist? Because in the same way there is goodness and utility when an iPad is “locked” to using the Apple apps store, and an Android Tablet has goodness and utility when “locked” to the Android Store… Windows 10S also has goodness and utility when “locked” to the Windows 10 Store.

So these Windows 10S machines are like “Windows’ versions of Chromebooks, but you can download apps.. lots of them from the Windows Store and do a lot of useful stuff.” But you can’t get yourself into too much trouble with viruses, malware, and evil stuff because.. these Windows 10S computers simply cannot run that stuff.

So Windows 10S might be a pretty good option.. for SOME PEOPLE, SOME TIMES. Microsoft is touting Windows 10S as an excellent choice for Schools and “Front Line Workers” like hotel clerks, storefronts, and so on.. because they don’t need to do too, too much and don’t want to get into too much trouble. If this sounds good to you, check it out and see if a Windows 10S machine might be right for you. If it stinks, just return it. Or... you can do a one-time upgrade of Windows 10S to Windows 10 Pro. Here’s a good article about using a Windows 10S as a daily driver. I recommend the read.

Part VII: 32 bit vs 64 bit.

Most new machines you will get are 64-bit capable. 64-bit capable means you get two major benefits.

Since most machines (laptops, not netbooks) you will buy nowadays are 64-bit capable, if you had an extra minute before clicking “buy now” I would check to ensure your new machine it’s 64-bit compatible and Windows 10 64-bit is pre-loaded.

Okay  — why would you care?

• Benefit #1: With 64-bit you can tap into all 4GB+ of memory you purchase. If you were to use the older 32-bit OS you will only see 3.2GB of your 4GB purchase. Weird, but that’s how it works.
• Benefit #2: By and large, the computer will be “faster” than the exact same machine running a 32-bit operating system. Even though we’re talking about identical systems, the 64-bit is faster all around because it processes (many / most) things in 64-bit “chunks” as opposed to 32-bit “chunks.” So it’s overall, faster.

So, in short, if you CAN get a 64-bit Windows 10 edition pre-loaded on your machine, I say “do it.”

In the old days, there were driver problems with 64-bit editions.

No more.

If the machine comes pre-loaded with Windows 10 and has 64-bit support, you’re likely quite golden with regards to drivers. You could, maybe possibly have some problems with some of the stuff ATTACHED to your machine, like Printers and Scanners. But Windows 7 and 8′s drivers support is excellent and those drivers should work in Windows 10. It’s a rare (mostly modern) device that won’t work with Windows 64-bit. Note: some won’t, and that’s a possible 64-bit risk.

For more information on 32 vs 64 bit support from Microsoft’s perspective, read this.

In short, for regular people, my advice is simple: Get Windows 10 Pro 64-bit edition pre-loaded on your laptop if you want guaranteed success.

Where do I go next:

Again, your best bet for Price / Performance is the Dell Factory Outlet: http://www.dell.com/Outlet/ 

I found many, many, many under $600. Here’s an example available now as I write this:

• Processor: Intel Core 7th Generation i5 Processor
• Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
• 256 GB Solid State Drive
• 8GB DDR4 RAM 
• 14 Inch HD (1366×768) LED-backlit Non-Touch Display
• Intel HD Graphics
• Dell Outlet Latitude 5480 Laptop

Total price: $587 (as of Nov 29, 2018)

Are these the best, lightest, fastest, crispest, nicest laptops you’re going to find? DEFINITELY NO. But for MOST PEOPLE these laptops (and the warranty I explained earlier) are PERFECT for mere mortals.

So, after this: everything else.. everything else.. is just bells and whistles when it comes to laptops. 

You could argue that touch is becoming more and more important. So, if you wanted touch, then… get one with touch.  :-) Again: I have two "daily driver" Windows PC laptops, neither has touch, and I don't miss it, not even a litle bit.

If you do want to go there, my only other big alternative might be a Microsoft Surface device. These are tablets that convert into laptops with snap-on keyboards (extra cost.) But the devices are amazingly built and very slick. You can go thru the myriad of options (again, this will be more expensive than other laptops, but you will almost certainly be happy with the experience.) Anyway, check them out here.

Part VII: Wait.. you said Solid-State (SSD) disks were the best, why don’t I see those (sometimes) when I try to buy a new laptop?

Here’s a fact: Your computer is ONLY as fast as its SLOWEST part.

Want to know what the slowest part is? The “spinning disk” hard drive. (Or “Hybrid” which is a spinning disk with SOME non-spinning stuff slapped on.)

Remember: Most computer manufacturers are cheap. They want to make something cheap and sell you something that works. When you get it they want you to be REASONABLY happy enough NOT to send it back. Its also in their best interest to say “500GB hard drive” or “750GB Hard drive”. Sounds HUUUUGE. So, ”spinning disks” do the job. They’re cheap and plentiful.

But, your spinning disk is holding you back.

SSD and M.2 disks are where the action is. Sometimes you cannot buy SSD disks with new systems (or if you do, you can only get the smaller ones.)

Why? See point #1 above: Spinning disks are good enough. So that’s what manufacturers sell. It won’t be like this forever. I suspect in the next year this will tip the other way to SSDs being normally available in bigger sizes.

So, here’s the (counter-intuitive) recommendation if you want to maximize your new laptop and make it feel AWESOME / ZIPPY for the next several years. Note: There is a litttttttle risk and costs involved here. But I think its worth it. Here goes:

• Buy your machine with the SMALLEST spinning disk hard drive you can. Usually the smallest is 320GB for laptops made.
• Buy your own SSD. Buy the biggest you can afford. I have tested several brands, and can only hands-down recommend ONE manufacturer: Samsung.

Samsung has three “flavors” of SSD disks. But, for YOU the mere mortal, there’s only one: The Samsung EVO.  Here on Amazon it’s $158.00 for the 120GB version.  A little more for 256 and so on, and you can select up to 1TB if you wanted (obviously for more money.)

In MOST cases (not all!) these drives come with a cable and software to MIGRATE the hard drive you HAVE onto the new platform. Always remember that in most cases, you need to be USING less space than you’re GOING to. (Be sure to read the details of your purchase CAREFULLY to ensure that your drive comes with a transfer cable if you want to do this yourself.)

Anyway.. here’s an example:

– Your new laptop comes with a 500GB spinning disk hard drive.

– Its using 20GB of space of that 500GB.

You can then upgrade to the 120GB SSD because you’re only using 20GB of that space.

Here’s another example:

-Your laptop comes with 500GB hard drive.

-You’re using 300GB of that space.

You cannot shove 300GB of stuff into that 120GB SSD disk.

Its usually pretty easy to then take out the OLD drive and throw in the NEW drive. If you’re UNCOMFORTABLE with all of this, you can pay someone at Best Buy or your local computer store to do all of this for you. Don’t pay more than $100 for the LABOR involved here.

What do you do with the original drive you took out? For $10 whole dollars on Amazon, you can put your ORIGINAL drive in a USB 3.0 case and reclaim that space as “spare” .. for pictures, videos, docs, whatever.

Part IX: What kind of laptop do you own, Jeremy? (Here comes a little geekier stuff.)

Some of you may wonder what kind of laptop I am running?

I finally in 2017, retired my laptop that I used since 2011 !! Up until this year, I used a Lenovo W520 with a four-core i7 processor and 1.5TB of SSD hard drive space (two SSD disks) and 32GB of RAM. It’s big and heavy and the power supply is .. just.. huge.

Now, for a little over a year, I have used a Lenovo T470P (P= Performance in case you care) with an i7-7820HQ 4-Core 2.9Ghz processor, 32GB RAM, and 2TB M.2 SSD space (which cost me as much as the laptop ITSELF!)

BUT REMEMBER: BUT I AM NOT A REGULAR PERSON.

I do live demonstrations in front of thousands of people and my laptop has to FLY.

I have another machine which is a Lenovo X260 running Windows 10 64-bit with 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD disk, and its totally fantastic to represent my “mere mortal machine”. This is the machine I carry around the house, or on a one or two day trip somewhere, where I am not presenting demos (but maybe demoing PowerPoints only). It has "near all day" battery life, but is pretty fast, and I can do 98% of what I would need to on my super fast "big boy" laptop.

I can hear you now: “But what about Dell? You reference Dell like 80 times in this article. Didn’t you basically tell me to buy a Dell?”

Yes, I did.

I recommend Dell for most people. But I personally like Lenovo’s “build quality” a lot better, and .. with my multiple Lenovo laptops I’ve owned over the years, I have literally NEVER needed the warranty. I’ve never had a pixel go bad, never had a USB port fry out, or a keyboard die. Not one. Not ever.

Remember: I’m an IT guy who does hard core demonstrations, so my needs are greater than some others. I need 32GB of RAM in my laptop, seriously fast hard drive and a lot lot more.

Again: my set up is NOT RECOMMENDED for regular people.

Let me be frank: the Lenovo buying experience is not great. The laptops take forever to get to me and the last time, my assistant called every day for 90 days to get confirmation of the activation of the warranty.

I wouldn’t want to put Jon and Jane Buyer thru either of those experiences. And I’m bordering on afraid to use the warranty service. Haven’t used it yet, I’ll cross my fingers. Heck, I don’t even know where to call if I had a problem. And that’s a problem.

For some of the people in my business, I have purcahsed them Lenovo T430s machines which I got as a refurbished deal on Woot.com. These are "off lease" / refubished machines. "Why would I do this to myself?" flying in the face of my own advice. Again: I'm not a regular person. I know what I'm doing. If one of these laptop dies, I'm confident I can rip the hard drive out and stick it another PC and be working the same day. And, I've had one of these machines fail.. the same day I got it. And then never again. So, again: Lenovo's appear to work like tanks, and I'm happy with my skillset to deal with "no warranty" or "sub-par" warranty on these systems to save some dollars, because I can recover if one of these T430s machines should die around the office.

Final Thoughts (and if you read nothing else…)

So, for regular people, I still recommended the Dell Outlet to get cheap, reliable, new computers and the Dell warranty for reliable, easy to understand warranty service.

Hope this guide helps you and your friends out.

– Signed, your friendly neighborhood Jeremy Moskowitz, Enterprise Mobility MVP

If you don’t know who Mark Minasi is, then you don’t know Windows.

Before I knew Mark personally, I would regularly encounter his books when I went from business to business during my old NT 3.5, 4.0 then Active Directory Consulting days.

Then I read his articles in Windows NT magazine, which later had different names, and transformed into Windows IT Pro. Most memorable was “This Old Resource Kit”, which was often in the back of the magazine, and the article I always flipped to first.

I first met Mark when I was doing some occasional writing for Windows NT Magazine and got my first “professional shot” to speak at a big time IT Pro conference. Mark and I were scheduled to speak back-to-back; Mark first, me second. Nothing to worry about there !

But there was a problem ! Not only was I going on directly after the best selling author and world class speaker Mark Minasi… but more importantly, our material overlapped a little bit. I wanted to coordinate material so the audience wouldn’t throw things at me.

So without knowing him really, at all, I found his business phone number, talked with his assistant, and she said Mark would call me back later that day.

And he did !

I think my brain froze up during that phone call. Here was this bestselling author talking to this totally unknown “Kid” (which by the way he would later call me “Kid” for YEARS.. really, literally, years.) From what I remember, we talked about our material decided some overlap was totally a-ok, and that was that. I can’t remember if the call was 15 minutes long or 2 hours long but I know he took the time he needed with me.

Months later at the big IT Conference, where I was scheduled to speak for my very first time… there he was. On stage. In. Front. Of. All. Those. People.

And I was next.

And if you don’t know Mark, his delivery is amazing, flawless, personal, engaging, technical, and relevant.

He was everything I wanted to grow up to be.

I was completely floored.

And then.. when his talk was over. It was my turn. On stage. In. Front. Of. All. Those. People.

And Mark. In the front row.

With. All. Those. People.

And I did.. fine. Not “Mark quality awesome.” But.. perfectly fine. In fact, for my first time out in the big leagues, pretty well.

After the talk, Mark took me aside and we had a little chat. He gave me a few tips, notes and pointers which was amazing to get from the Master.

He knew about my couple of articles in Windows NT Magazine and asked if I wanted to write a book in his new “series” of “Mark Minasi Presents” books. And after we talked for a little bit, we landed on the right topic: Group Policy, Profiles and IntelliMirror.

The three things I knew best. (Tip, if you want to see the original cover, check out this link on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Profiles-IntelliMirror-Windows-Administrator-Library/dp/0782144470 )

I wrote the book, it became a bestseller, and it launched me into GPanswers.com, my training classes, then later to found PolicyPak Software.

In other words, because Mark believed in me, he helped me become the person I wanted to become and get to help thousands and thousands of administrators just like you.

Mark would go on to become a very close personal friend, offering guidance from business to personal matters, and has been a terrific sounding board, and was I honored to have Mark at my wedding.

In short: Mark was my personal mentor, and I couldn’t have been “Jeremy” without Mark helping me along the way.

I’ve seen Mark speak now, live, more than I can remember. I can remember attending his multi-day seminars at least three times, maybe it was four. And then seeing him speak at little, medium, and big events: Mark is a professional machine at speaking, entertaining and making sure the material sticks.

I will continue to be talking at events, small, medium and large, and hope to take a piece of Mark with me on stage whenever I do.

Thank you Mark for helping thousands of IT admins be just plain better at their jobs. No one will ever be a better “explainer” than you. You’re the highest standard I know.

And thanks for taking a personal touch with me and help transform me from Kid to, well, whatever I am now. J

PS: That all being said, if you KNOW Mark really well, and want to go in the wayback machine to a time even before I knew him, check out these crazy videos:

–   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq-OPbKSvGg

–   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhM2amh5vI0

–   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsWM7ebIqag

PPS: Mark is still tweeting at @mminasi so, do be sure to follow him !

This is a yearly re-post / re-edit. It started in 2009 and has been updated yearly. This started out as a post to “just my closest friends” but has become one of my popular blog entries of all time. Here’s my fully updated guide to end-of-year 2016 into 2017.

If you’re an IT geek like me, you’re often asked “What kind of laptop should I buy?”

If you’’re NOT an IT geek, you’’re likely asking an IT geek friend “What kind of laptop should I buy?”

This is a guide for both of you.

If you’’re in IT, this question might not directly affect you, since many IT organizations dole out laptops to the whole staff, including you. However, since you’re seen walking around with a laptop, or have that geeky-vibe about you, I’m guessing you’ve been asked more than once “What kind of laptop should I buy?”

You might be tempted to say “Buy a Macbook” – if only for the reason that you DON’T have a Macbook, and therefore would be unable to help the person in the future. (See this for the example of the problem: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/computers) That being said, Macbooks are pretty awesome, and if you want to real work on a Macbook, you can do that. That’s just not the point of this article. This is about how to buy a Windows PC laptop. Macs are great, if you want to go there.

If you’’re NOT in IT, your problems are substantial too. If you ask three geeks, you might get THREE answers.

With that in mind, here’s “Jeremy’s Guide to Buying a new PC-based Laptop in 2016-2017.” Again, there are a LOT of ways someone COULD do this task. This is what I send to people in my inner circle (friends, family, etc.) when I get the question.

Seriously. I just email them a link to this blog entry, and .. I’’m done.

These suggestions should be “good enough” for the common man / woman / student for the foreseeable near term future. Any one person’s particular needs may vary, but you, the IT Pro, should be able to “print out and hand over” these suggestions and have them work for about 90+% of the people you come in contact with.

If you’’re NOT an IT geek, you’’re looking at the Internet and catalogs and think that desktop and laptops could be “infinitely configured.”

And you don’t have time for that. You want to get back to real work. So, here is a document you can send to anyone who has ever asked that question with some “straight dope answers.”

Yes: This document is long. But, you want to make a GOOD decision which will last you the next 2-4 years, right? So, just read it. Really READ it. Then go shopping.

Jeremy’s Guide to Buying a new PC-based Laptop in 2016

We’re going to answer some questions here like:

• Laptop or Ultrabook ?
• Laptop or iPad or Surface (Windows Tablet)?
• Should I get a $200 Windows laptop?
• What is / should I get a Microsoft Surface?
• What’s the deal with Android Tablets and Google Chromebook Laptops?
• iPad Pro? Will that work for me?
• Where can I get good deals?
• What kind of hardware (and warranty) should I get?
• Should I get Windows 10 or get Windows 7?
• Should I get 32-bit or 64-bit?

Part I: Laptop, Ultrabook or Netbook ?

To make sure we all understand the marketing vocabulary you’re likely to encounter as you go to buy a machine:

• Laptops: You know what a laptop is.
• Ultrabook: Just like a laptop, but thinner and lighter.

For most people, they want Laptops. They’re mid priced, mid weight and have a full sized keyboard.

If you pay a little more, you can get an Ultrabook, which is just like a laptop — except lighter.

I think there are a ton of great options out there where you don’t have buy a HEAVY laptop, or buy an EXPENSIVE Ultrabook.

Said another way, you can get a great laptop, which approaches the weight of an Ultrabook, at a “Laptop cost.”

Part II:  Non-Windows tablets (iPad, Android, Chromebooks)

Before we talk about ACTUAL laptops, let’s take a quick turn and chat about your “second” device.

In fact, you might be thinking “Maybe I don’t need a laptop at all, and instead, I’ll just get an iPad, iPad Pro, or Chromebook.” And, what’s the deal with “Microsoft Surface?”

In short, nothing beats a laptop for ACTUAL WORK.

The iPad can be FORCED into a device that can help kinda-sorta help you do better at making ACTUAL WORK.

There’s the iPad, iPad Mini and now the “jumbo” iPad Pro which.. is just a REALLY BIG iPad and pen with some specialty apps to help you try to do ACTUAL WORK.

But honestly, I’ve tried a lot of stuff, and NOTHING BEATS A LAPTOP for ACTUAL WORK.

For me, I tend to use my iPad Mini when on the airplane and on the road, watching movies and quick dash emails.

The bonus of a laptop over an iPad is… its just better at creating and editing documents. Yes, you CAN create documents”, “deliver slideshows”, or “make a spreadsheet on an iPad. For me, when it comes to creating content, even simple emails… I need a keyboard. Yes, yes, you can get Bluetooth keyboards that sync with the iPad (and I have one), but still – the content creation software and experience isn’’t the same as a Netbook, laptop or desktop.

So, here’s the verdict if you want a “Not Full Windows Machine”:

• If I had “real work” to do, and had to only pick one “travel” machine for the next 5 years – sorry iPad, I’’d have to go laptop.
• •If I’’m sitting on a beach and want to read, game, surf or NetFlix.. I use my iPad.

How about Android Tablets? Are those good choices?

Possibly. So, I’’m (personally) not a huge fan of the current Android world. But I actually believe it’s a very personal choice / taste.

But, I actually recognize I’’m in the minority.

That is, apparently more portable devices run Android than anything else out there. But I don’’t own one, so I can’’t personally recommend it.

If you’ve got a friend with one, ask to play around on it. But even if I –loved it, I’’m not sure I’d want it as my only content-creation machine.

What’s the deal with the “Google Chromebook Laptop”?

Whew. This is a tough one. So, non-IT folks… stick with me here.

Every year I get a lot of comments telling me that I don’t give Google Chromebooks enough “discussion.”

Fine. Okay.. Here’s the Wall Street Journal article entitled “You can ditch your PC now” which demonstrates for some people its possible to use a Chromebook for many (most) tasks.

Google has a “full size laptop” running a thing called the “Chrome OS.”

Here’s the deal: It has no hard drive, and ALMOST everything you do is “in the cloud.” Meaning, really, that when you “save stuff” you’’re saving to a website which stores your stuff for later access.

• Does it run Windows applications? No.
• Does it run Mac applications? No.
• Does it run iPad apps? No.
• Does it run Android apps? No.
• Might you want one anyway? Possibly.

There are SOME things that can be downloaded then used offline without Internet access, but not too much.

Where are these devices GREAT? In school (K-12) environments. They run Google apps and all the Google-y stuff you already use.

So teachers just give ‘em to students and if they break? O well. There’s nothing stored on them anyway. Since the Internet is always on (usually) in the school, it makes a lot of sense there.

For me, though, it’s not how I want to work. But some people can and do use a Google Chromebook is their “daily driver” for all things. But not me personally. I have several friends who love them and give them to their parents as their “daily driver” for all things.

Okay: Back to laptops and Netbooks.

Part III: Which laptop brand should I get?

Read this part first, before we get to the “Should I try really hard to get Windows 7 on my laptop” section. We’ll answer that in a minute.

Okay: Here’s the thing about all laptops. All of them: basically, they’re all the same.

Shocker, I know. But so are cars. They are all basically, almost exactly, 99% the same. Some of the “differences” might be:

• Extra ports or USB 3.0 vs. USB 2.0.
• One or two “video chips” (don’t get me started).
• Keyboard twists / converts to make it a tablet.
• Keyboard snaps off to make it a tablet.
• Keyboard doesn’t exist at all (so it *IS* a tablet) and you ADD a keyboard.
• Some are a little faster or a little slower.
• Some are heavier. Others are lighter.
• Some have BIG power supplies (which add to the overall weight of travel). Others have small wee ones.
• Some are “bigger” and have a full sized keyboard. Others are smaller (Netbooks.)
• Some laptops have touch screens, some do not.

But… again –99% of all laptops running Windows are EXACTLY the same “guts” and what they’’re capable of.

Since they all do the same basic thing, for the MAJORITY of “Joe and Jane users” you almost CANNOT GO WRONG in buying a new laptop nowadays.

This is going to sound totally weird, but my primary suggestion to prospective buyers of laptops and desktops is: UNDERSTAND THE WARRANTY.

We’ll cover this in the next part of this talk.

Of course, you’re also looking for a good deal. So, here are my top five deals for anyone looking for a computer:

1. New Dell Inspiron laptops. They’re cheap, decent, fast, and have Dell’s warranty (again, more on this in a second.) Click here to see them. I wouldn’t recommend _all_ of them. Some of them have the “wrong” processor type. (again, more on this in a second.) And this year, I’m recommending ONLY disks without moving parts (SSD) .. again, more on this in a bit.

2. Dell Factory Outlet  This is Dell’s “island of lost toys.” This usually mans “Jane Doe couldn’t afford her new laptop for her son Johnny Doe after all, so she sent it back after 9 days of light use.” It doesn’t really mean “It was dropped, so it’s now crap.”  Even if it did, Dell still puts an original warranty on everything they sell there, which is the most important part of owning a laptop. I’ve literally bought 4 Dell laptops using the Outlet store.

3. Tigerdirect.com and NewEgg. They do sell new computers, but also “fell off the truck, if ya know what I mean”, off-lease (meaning, used) or are market closeouts in some way. But, holymoly.. lots and lots of awesome deals here. I promise you won’t find better deals than Tigerdirect. You will get the MOST bang for your buck, especially if you’re looking for something “higher end” at “lower cost.” But here’s the trick: Tigerdirect doesn’t warranty these. They’re always factory direct warranties… whatever that means. And since they sell all brands, I don’t know what to tell you – even if you find a great deal. You’ll have to manually inspect the warranty yourself, call the company and see what their story is. Don’t expect Tigerdirect to help you when you have a problem. They sell it to you. They mail it to you. That’s the extent of your relationship.

4. Retail: Best Buy, hhGregg, Office Max, Office Depot, Staples: Even if they swore “up and down” that they had the most amazing warranty of all time, PLUS a killer deal – I still wouldn’’t buy the computer and warranty from any of them. Plain and simple: There are KIDS working in these stores, and this is YOUR business / personal laptop. Sorry, but I can’’t trust any of these outfits with my most precious business instrument. Not to mention that these kinds of stores turn over equipment types and makes and models so, so quickly. Will the “kid behind the desk” know what to do when you bring yours in from 1.5 years ago?

5. Other Internet sites: NewEgg.com, Buy.Com, Woot.com and others. Again –almost always ONLY manufacturer’s warranty or some kind of 30-90 day only warranty. Again, not my cup of tea.

Part IV: Understanding the warranty (the most important part of your laptop.)

Let’s talk about Dell, specifically, for a second though. Why have I, historically, always owned a Dell laptop?

Simple. Their warranty is easy for my pea-brain to understand.

Here’s how it works:

• •The default warranty is 1 year if something “dies.” Examples are: Power supply, screen goes blank, USB port dies, whatever. You call up. They try to fix it over the phone.
• If it needs a part you can replace (ie: battery, mouse, removable DVD drive) they ship it to you; you replace it yourself. You put the broken part in a pre-paid box back to them, and drop it in the mail. You are done.
• If it needs a part you can’t replace (laptop screen, motherboard) the part is shipped “overnight” to a “regional center.” Then when the part arrives, the center calls you and you schedule a time to get your machine fixed.
• For a little extra money when you buy your laptop, you can get 3 years on-site (ie: they come to you) coverage.
• For a little “extra extra”, you can get “I spilled coffee directly in it”, “I dropped it hard on a marble floor” or “I dropped it in a lake” insurance, which will cover things like that. Really. At least that’s what they say.

Now.. with that said: I, with my pea-brain, can understand this warranty structure, and can embrace what it means.

To be clear: This warranty structure doesn’t mean “my problem will be fixed in 24 hours.” (Especially on a Thursday or Friday.)

It means: “We (Dell) spring to action right away… If you called us with your problem after 2.00 PM or so, then we’re going to miss Mr. DHL delivery dude for today. So, we’ll have to ship it tomorrow –then it will (usually) get to the local repair depot the next business (shipping) day. And when it arrives, then you’ll get a call. Only after the part arrives at the local depot center, will we call you and schedule an appointment for up to 24 hours after that.”

That’s the deal.

So don’t expect your warranty coverage to mean “your problem will be fixed within 24 hours.” Expect them to get started on your problem right away and have it fixed 24 hours AFTER the part is in the hands of the depot.

So, because I ‘get’ the deal, I usually recommend Dell. It’s the “warranty-devil” I know, and I’m totally cool with that deal.

That said, I always recommend Dells to Joes and Janes when they ask me what laptop to get because:

• 99% of the any laptop you get is exactly the same and…
• I can EXPLAIN the warranty to them and ..
• They can decide if that’s what they want.

I cannot OVER-EMPHASIZE how important UNDERSTANDING your laptop’s warranty and restrictions are. This is literally, the #1 factor you should choose in buying a laptop.

Again: I’ve described Dell’s warranty service above. If you want to check out other manufacturer’s warranties, great. I’m just giving you my personal experience with Dell and warranties.

Part V: “How much laptop do I, a regular person, need?”

If you’’re planning on: Surfing, Facebook, using Microsoft Office, Google Docs, Gmail, Hotmail, Office 365, NetFlix, Skype and other “usual stuff” you’’ve got “what I call “modest needs.””

If you’’re running some “high powered stuff ” like Quark, World Of Warcraft (or other high end games), Final Cut, Movie Maker, VMware Workstation, HyperV, Autocad, Camtasia Studio or Mathemetica, you might need more than what I’’ve listed here.

Now, before we get into this, there’s a handful of.. holycow.. NEW $200 full Windows laptops out there. (Here’s a Wall Street Journal Entry on them.) But … they FAIL the “sniff test.” Read the article, then also read my discussion on Chip Type.. right here.

So, here’s my answer for your “modest needs” person.

Chip type and speed:

Here’s the dirty little secret the laptop manufactures don’’t want you to know: This almost “doesn’t matter.” Or said another way, you almost “cannot go wrong.” Here are my suggestions:

•Intel’s chip lines are the Intel Core i3, i5 and i7s. The i3 is usually the best “bang for the buck” but I wouldn’’t turn down the higher model i5s or i7s. Again, i3 (any speed) will be perfectly fine for almost anyone. Get the i5s if you can afford it. The i7s are almost certainly overkill for almost everyone.

Avoid “Intel Celerons” at all costs. None are acceptable. Ever. This is why you don’t want to buy the $200 HP Stream 11 laptop .

• See the above line: NEVER EVER buy a laptop with an Intel Celeron. EVER.

I would also avoid anything with Intel ATOM. They’ll run all Windows apps. But slower. The PLUS side is that battery life is greater on these, but definitely slower than the Intel “i” series I mentioned above.

Also:  Avoid all “gamer” laptops. Avoid due to the high price tag and low battery life and large power supply to lug around.

RAM:

•The new modern standard is 8GB. You could get away with 4GB likely just fine. But if if you had an extra $40, get 8GB over 4GB.

•Note that I am NOT recommending you get more than 8GB for most modest-needs users. If you happen to get MORE than 8GB of RAM, bully for you, but you likely will never really need or use it.

Hard drive:

There are three kinds of hard drives now: “spinning disks” (the kind we’’ve had for years) and “SSD” disks which have no moving parts at all and “hybrids” which are spinning disks with some extra SSD stuff slapped on.

The older spinning disks are still found in 50% of all laptops.

I would avoid spinning disks at all costs now, and opt only for the SSD (which has no moving parts.) The “catch” however is that SSD disks are more expensive than older spinning disks (for the same amount of space.)

Manufacturers used to only have small SSDs for some reason; now they’re finally getting their acts together and you can go pretty big.

In short getting an SSD vs. spinning disks is going to be the greatest “one thing” you can do to make your laptop (even your old, crappy 3 year old laptop) feel insanely fast. More on SSD disks a little later.

Video card / chip:

Unless you’re playing games, it doesn’t matter.

•Really.

•Even if you’re planning on watching NetFlix or Hulu, those kinds of apps really don’t care about your video card much.

Even on my super old crappy 6 year old Netbook, I am able to see full screen videos (wirelessly!) without any issue with a good network connection.

Avoid laptops which tout “multiple” or “two” video chips. These give you extra headaches for almost NO VALUE to the mere mortal.

Screen Size / Resolution & Touch:

•Look for something with WXGA or WXGA+ resolution. This can mean 1280×720 and up, which is decent on a laptop.

Some laptops don’t have touch screens. You might as well get a touch-enabled laptop, since things do appear to be getting “touch-ier.” That being said, as I write this year’s revised article, the two laptops I own; neither has a touch screen.

Wireless Network Card:

•Most laptops now have built-in Wireless cards.

You don’t have to get all worried if you don’t have the fastest wireless card.

Ideally, look for one that has “n” in the spec, like 802.11n to get the fastest. Note that 802.11n isn’t actually the fastest thing out there. It’s actually 802.11AC but I think only a handful of laptop manufacturers put 802.11AC chips built into their notebooks (Asus being one of them).

Part VI: Windows 7 vs. 10 

So, let me start out by saying it’s really, really hard to get a new laptop WITHOUT Windows 10 on it.

There really isn’t any compelling reason to get Windows 7 anymore anyway. Windows 10 is the “last” version of Windows, but it will constantly upgraded and updated with new features every few months.

In short, you pretty much have to get it.. so just get it… UNLESS your business or school or something requires you to have Windows 7 and NOT Windows 10.

But that being said, you will find at least Dell and some other manufacturers still putting Windows 7 onto new machines as an option (click here for a list of SOME Dell machines with Windows 7 as an option.)

So, you CAN get Windows 7 in lieu of Windows 10 if you wanted, but I wouldn’t.

My advice for “normal people” would be to spring for a machine with one of the following operating systems:

• •Windows 10 Home Premium: If you’re never going to join an IT department’s domain.
• Windows 10 Pro: If you’re possibly going to join an IT department’s domain.

Note: My geeky friends will notice neither Windows 10 Enterprise doesn’t appear on this list, because they are NOT sold with NEW machines are only available to IT departments.

This chart is excellent to see what you get in which edition (left most columns): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_10_editions 

Note also that some new laptops might come with Windows 7 or Windows 8 or 8.1 pre-loaded. It depends on the manufacturer if you get “Windows 10 Ugprade rights.”

Part VII: 32 bit vs 64 bit.

Most new machines you will get are 64-bit capable. 64-bit capable means you get two major benefits.

Since most machines (laptops, not netbooks) you will buy nowadays are 64-bit capable, if you had an extra minute before clicking “buy now” I would check to ensure your new machine it’s 64-bit compatible and Windows 10 64-bit is pre-loaded.

Okay  — why would you care?

• Benefit #1: With 64-bit you can tap into all 4GB+ of memory you purchase. If you were to use the older 32-bit OS you will only see 3.2GB of your 4GB purchase. Weird, but that’s how it works.
• Benefit #2: By and large, the computer will be “faster” than the exact same machine running a 32-bit operating system. Even though we’re talking about identical systems, the 64-bit is faster all around because it processes (many / most) things in 64-bit “chunks” as opposed to 32-bit “chunks.” So it’s overall, faster.

So, in short, if you CAN get a 64-bit Windows 10 edition pre-loaded on your machine, I say “do it.”

In the old days, there were driver problems with 64-bit editions.

No more.

If the machine comes pre-loaded with Windows 10 and has 64-bit support, you’re likely quite golden with regards to drivers. You could, maybe possibly have some problems with some of the stuff ATTACHED to your machine, like Printers and Scanners. But Windows 7 and 8′s drivers support is excellent and those drivers should work in Windows 10. It’s a rare (mostly modern) device that won’t work with Windows 64-bit. Note: some won’t, and that’s a possible 64-bit risk.

For more information on 32 vs 64 bit support from Microsoft’s perspective, read this.

In short, for regular people, my advice is simple: Get Windows 10 (Home or Pro) 64-bit edition pre-loaded on your laptop if you want guaranteed success.

Where do I go next:

Again, your best bet for Price / Performance is the Dell Factory Outlet: http://www.dell.com/Outlet/ 

I found many, many, many under $600. Here’s an example available now as I write this:

• Processor: Intel Core 5th Generation i3 Processor
• Windows 10 (Home or Pro)
• 128 GB Solid State Drive
• 4GB DDR3L at 1600MHz
• 13.3 Inch HD (1366×768) LED-backlit Non-Touch Display
• Intel HD Graphics
• Dell Outlet Latitude Laptop

Total price: $550

Are these the best, lightest, fastest, crispest, nicest laptops you’re going to find? DEFINITELY NO. But for MOST PEOPLE these laptops (and the warranty I explained earlier) are PERFECT for mere mortals.

So, after this: everything else.. everything else.. is just bells and whistles when it comes to laptops. 

You could argue that touch is becoming more and more important. But on a real LAPTOP, I don’t see it yet and I personally don’t use it yet. But if you really wanted touch, then… get one with touch. 

If you do want to go there, my only other big alternative might be a Microsoft Surface device. These are tablets that convert into laptops with snap-on keyboards (extra cost.) But the devices are amazingly built and very slick. You can go thru the myriad of options (again, this will be more expensive than other laptops, but you will almost certainly be happy with the experience.) Anyway, check them out here.

Part VII: Wait.. you said Solid-State (SSD) disks were the best, why don’t I see those (sometimes) when I try to buy a new laptop?

Here’s a fact: Your computer is ONLY as fast as its SLOWEST part.

Want to know what the slowest part is? The “spinning disk” hard drive. (Or “Hybrid” which is a spinning disk with SOME non-spinning stuff slapped on.)

Remember: Most computer manufacturers are cheap. They want to make something cheap and sell you something that works. When you get it they want you to be REASONABLY happy enough NOT to send it back. Its also in their best interest to say “500GB hard drive” or “750GB Hard drive”. Sounds HUUUUGE. So, ”spinning disks” do the job. They’re cheap and plentiful.

But, your spinning disk is holding you back.

SSD disks are where the action is. Sometimes you cannot buy SSD disks with new systems (or if you do, you can only get the smaller ones.)

Why? See point #1 above: Spinning disks are good enough. So that’s what manufacturers sell. It won’t be like this forever. I suspect in the next year this will tip the other way to SSDs being normally available in bigger sizes.

So, here’s the (counter-intuitive) recommendation if you want to maximize your new laptop and make it feel AWESOME / ZIPPY for the next several years. Note: There is a litttttttle risk and costs involved here. But I think its worth it. Here goes:

• Buy your machine with the SMALLEST spinning disk hard drive you can. Usually the smallest is 320GB for laptops made.
• Buy your own SSD. Buy the biggest you can afford. I have tested several brands, and can only hands-down recommend ONE manufacturer: Samsung.

Samsung has three “flavors” of SSD disks. But, for YOU the mere mortal, there’s only one: The Samsung EVO.  Here on Amazon it’s $80.99 for the 120GB version. (And you can select up to 1TB if you wanted for obviously more money.)

In MOST cases (not all!) these drives come with a cable and software to MIGRATE the hard drive you HAVE onto the new platform. Always remember that in most cases, you need to be USING less space than you’re GOING to. (Be sure to read the details of your purchase CAREFULLY to ensure that your drive comes with a transfer cable if you want to do this yourself.)

Anyway.. here’s an example:

– Your new laptop comes with a 500GB hard drive.

– Its using 20GB of space of that 500GB.

You can then upgrade to the 120GB SSD because you’re only using 20GB of that space.

Here’s another example:

-Your laptop comes with 500GB hard drive.

-You’re using 300GB of that space.

You cannot shove 300GB of stuff into that 120GB SSD disk.

Its usually pretty easy to then take out the OLD drive and throw in the NEW drive. If you’re UNCOMFORTABLE with all of this, you can pay someone at Best Buy or your local computer store to do all of this for you. Don’t pay more than $100 for the LABOR involved here.

What do you do with the original drive you took out? For $12 whole dollars on Amazon, you can put your ORIGINAL drive in a USB 3.0 case and reclaim that space as “spare” .. for pictures, videos, docs, whatever.

Part IX: What kind of laptop do you own, Jeremy? (Here comes a little geekier stuff.)

Some of you may wonder what kind of laptop I am running?

I use a laptop released in 2011 !! A Lenovo W520 with a four-core i7 processor and 1.5TB of SSD hard drive space (two SSD disks) and 32GB of RAM. It’s big and heavy and the power supply is .. just.. huge.

BUT REMEMBER: BUT I AM NOT A REGULAR PERSON.

I do live demonstrations in front of thousands of people and my laptop has to FLY.

I have another machine which is a Lenovo X260 running Windows 10 64-bit with 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD disk, and its totally fantastic to represent my “mere mortal machine”.

I can hear you now: “But what about Dell? You reference Dell like 80 times in this article. Didn’’t you basically tell me to buy a Dell?”

Yes, I did.

I recommend Dell for most people. I needed some special stuff that I could only get with a Lenovo.

Remember: I’m an IT guy who does hard core demonstrations, so my needs are greater than some others. I need 32GB of RAM in my laptop, and SATA III and a lot lot more. Why the W520, specifically, and not another Lenovo (or Dell for that matter.)

So, Lenovo (and a handful of others) are using new faster “guts” called “Sandy Bridge” –which is the stuff “between” the Intel chips and the hard drives. It’s the stuff that “moves data” between the main processor and, well, everything else. And Sandy Bridge laptops are super slick and fast – provided –you jam in a super fast hard drive. For the geeks out there, Sandy Bridge laptops can take SATA III disks which are stupid-fast. So, I’ve decided for my W520 with an Core i7 and also decided to splurge and get (crazy, I know) a 1TB SSD SATA III disk. (Note: Geeky people will also know that something NEWER than Sandy Bridge is out called Haswell. Except it’s not all that much faster as evidenced in this article.)

Anyway.. no kidding: the SSD drive I purchased literally cost as much as the laptop itself (at the time).

Again: my set up is NOT RECOMMENDED for regular people.

Let me be frank: the Lenovo buying experience is not great. The laptops take forever to get to me and the last time, my assistant called every day for 90 days to get confirmation of the activation of the warranty.

I wouldn’t want to put Jon and Jane Buyer thru either of those experiences. And I’m bordering on “afraid” to use the warranty service. Haven’t used it yet, I’ll cross my fingers. Heck, I don’t even know where to call if I had a problem. And that’s a problem.

Final Thoughts (and if you read nothing else…)

So, for regular people, I still recommended the Dell Outlet to get cheap, reliable, new computers and the Dell warranty for reliable, easy to understand warranty service.

Hope this guide helps you and your friends out.

– Signed, your friendly neighborhood Jeremy Moskowitz, Enterprise Mobility MVP

This week’s tip isn’t technical. It’s philosophical.

I had a mentor who once said to me: "The EASY way is the HARD way. The HARD way, is the EASY way."

What the heck is he talking about?

Here’s an example. I live in the city, and I own a scooter.

I usually take my scooter to the scooter shop all the way across town. A whole 12 minutes away! I’d also need to be "picked up" and wait half the day to get it done. OMG, who has time for THAT !?

So I figured, okay, why don’t I just bring my scooter to my corner car repair guy — who is awesome and reasonably priced, and does great work on my cars. He says he can do my oil change in a ‘jiffy’ (oil change pun intended.)

I take the scooter over there. Its a mere 60 seconds from my house (maybe less.) And he says "No problem I can just do this while you wait."

"Awesome!" I think.. "All the TIME I’ll save."

Then he starts taking various things apart. The WRONG things apart. I literally see a spring pop out of the whatever-the-heck-he’s-working-on and it (no joke) rolls down the street.

He gets the spring, puts it back together and says.. "Oops.. that wasn’t it."

Then he does end up finding the right oil drain. And drains the oil to transfer to an Eco-Friendly recycle vessel.

He comments: "Oh wow.. this oil weird. Its green! That’s wild.. I’ve never seen that before."

Now I have sinking "pit of my stomach" feeling that I’ve just done something wrong. Wrong guy — wrong tools — wrong skills.

"So, Jeremy, what kind of oil does it take? 10w-30 ?"   Arrgh.. I’m NOT the car / scooter professional. How the heck am I supposed to know?

So, now I’m finding holding the owners manual, flipping thru it, and it says "HP4 oil only" which is apparently a Honda-specific thing, and.. so, he pokes around his shop, and, of course, doesn’t have what I need.

I -could- have scooted to Pep Boys and maybe get it myself, but now my oil is drained out the scooter — rendering it unscotter-able, and I’m stuck there. Grrr.

"Hmm.. Pep boys can deliver it to us.. will take most of the day to get it." he says.

What started at 9.00 AM is now done by 5.00 PM. Fine, all fine. We got what we needed and it’s all done and fine.

But… What’s the moral of the story?  

The EASY way was the HARD way.  The HARD way was the EASY way.

So, when we try to take the EASY way, it quite often "ends in tears" (as a friend likes to say.)

We TRY to take a shortcut.. using the wrong tools, people or technology to get the job done. Hoping to save some time, or a buck.

And what do we get? Sometimes, you get lucky and it works out great. But, if you’re like me, any "easy" shortcut ends up hurting — painfully.

What would the "hard" way have looked like:

• Using the RIGHT place — the scooter shop.
• Using the RIGHT people — the professional scooter dudes.
• Using the RIGHT tools — the right OIL they have in stock.

The "hard" part about this would have been to get picked up or just wait the hour to get it done at the RIGHT place. Indeed, the HARD way really wasn’t that HARD at all, now was it?

And, going the "hard way" — I would have saved the heartache of seeing my scooter "spring apart" by the wrong guy.

Oh sure.. the scooter is fine now. But was it worth the risk of going the "easy way?"

Next time you have an important decision to make remember: The EASY way, is the HARD way. The HARD way, is the EASY way.

This tip is a blast from the past, but I've re-tooled it for today, because this has been on my mind again recently.

But we all have troubles with computers. That's our job. But if you can follow these simple suggestions, you can troubleshoot yourself out of just about any computer problem Group Policy or otherwise.

So, let’s dig in and talk about the Zen of Enterprise Computer Troubleshooting.

First thing’s first: duplicate it.

Having one machine, in isolation does NOT a big problem make.

It FEELS like a big problem when Sally’s machine isn’t processing GPOs, or when my own laptop refuses to run Application XYZ today, but it did yesterday.

It’s frustrating, and infuriating, annoying, and .. well… that’s not the point.

The point is, my friend, it’s an "isolated issue." And honestly, isolated issues are just that. Isolated.

Until you can get another machine to do exactly the same thing, you really have no problem to troubleshoot at all, enterprise speaking.

Your problem feels big. But, honestly, until you can duplicate it, it’s shaky grounds for troubleshooting.

If the problem is in virtual world, like VMware, or HyperV, try to reproduce it in the physical world just to rule that out. Weird stuff can live inside those virtual worlds sometimes.

Second thing: Log Files — The application log and Windows Logs and the applications log

Next, let’s not forget about log files.

Many areas of the computer have various logging levels. When it comes to troubleshooting, 8 out of 10 times, I just lose my brain and forget to check the most obvious of places: the logfiles !

Start out by checking Windows Application and System logs. An application may quietly write the secret answer to your problem in those logs, and bingo.. problem solved.

Logs help you keep your sanity, because you can prove to yourself, after 20 hours of working on something (and you’re starting to see flying purple elephants)… that the thing  you think you’re seeing is something you’re actually seeing.

Many applications, themselves, have log files. Digging into those can sometimes be key gateway to figuring out what the problem is.

Third Thing: Shoot a video of the problem

If you're trying to reproduce a problem that you can't easily produce, use Camtasia or some other screen capture utility to actually watch yourself reproduce the problem. This is the ultimate tool to prove to the developer (or the boss) there really is a problem here.

It could get you a quicker repair, more time to troubleshoot, or the funding you need to take your problem to the next level.

In a recent case for me, I saw the problem.. got it on video .. then was never able to reproduce it again.

Having it on video was awesome to have, because at least I knew I wasn't crazy. After hours of trying to reproduce the issue again, at least I had something to prove I did get the problem to fire off one time. Closer inspection of the video (the next day) showed I had a different networking connection the first time, versus all the next times.

And.. Bingo. That was my problem.

Forth thing: Ask for help

Googling / Binging / Technetting for a solution can only take you so far. Don’t be afraid to ask a college or trusted friend for help, look over your shoulder, or help in troubleshoot. That's a good way to show someone what you've done so far and what did and didn't work.

(PS: This shouldn’t be blanket permission for everyone to just email me when they’re having their own personal Group Policy struggles.. For that we have the community forum at GPanwers.com, okay? ?

Additionally, give that "helper friend" permission to suggest WILD IDEAS. You’ve already thought of all the easy stuff. Now give them permission to "go a little crazy" and suggest some off the beaten path solutions to your problems.  In short, I’m saying to leverage the resources you have. I have my own "inner circle" to leverage when I need help, and you should foster yours. Know where to post and request help for issues when you need help, and learn the kinds of responses you can get from those systems.

Fifth thing: Learn to Give up.

Here’s something about me that you may not know. I do yoga.

I’m no "yoga superman" or anything. I’m 6 ft 2 and weigh, well, more than I should.

But the point is, that I really love it. And why? Well, beyond the health reasons, there’s  something more.

I get to understand my own limitations. Instead of stretching my body to a stupid level — where I might grab my legs behind my ears and actually hurt myself– I know to "give up" and do something else more productive during that time.
Even if I’m little embarrassed that the WHOLE CLASS can do the stretch (whatever it is), and I can’t – I don’t care. I try to put that whole "pride thing" behind me and learn to acknowledge my own abilities. Why? Because I’m 6 ft 2 "big guy", and not 5 ft 3 "Yoga gal." We’re going to have different limitations. I can’t stretch like she can, and she can’t lift two 5 gallon water bottles into her house up two flights of stairs at the same time.

Why bring this up now? Because after you’ve done all the proper troubleshooting you can, and after you’ve asked all the people in your inner circle, and after you’ve hit the books, and after you’ve Googled / Binged your brains out… it’s time to give up.

Learn to GIVE UP.

But learn to give up in the right way. Microsoft product support (PSS) is there for you to troubleshoot your Microsoft related stuff.

Heck, you might have free support incidents as part of a Microsfot Technet Plus subscription or other channel.

The point of all of our jobs, at its core is to SOLVE PROBLEMS with the TOOLS WE CHOOSE.

I can swing a hammer only so much before I need to call in a carpenter and show me what

I’m doing wrong.

It doesn’t help our companies or our personal sanity to keep swinging the hammer only to find we really needed a screwdriver and a blowtorch and a lesson in how to use those tools in the first place.

Not to get all "touchy feely" here, but there is a point we all need to find it within ourselves where we say: "I’ve done all we can. It’s worth X dollars in value to me to get the answers I need to continue being effective."

So I do personally call Microsoft Product Support Services when I'm at the end of my rope.  They do an AMAZING job and will not close the support call until YOU are satisfied the problem has been solved. I love that.

How does this tie in to Group Policy Troubleshooting?

I want you to think of the above steps as overall advice, and not specifically for Group Policy.

As for Group Policy troubleshooting, or troubleshooting in general, my (recapped) suggestions are to:

• Validate your findings on another machine. Just one machine in isolation does not a "problem" make (even if you’re tempted to feel that way.)
• Try similar and dissimilar machines. If the problem is happening on XP, does it happen with Windows 7 too? Vice / Versa?
• Have you been able to take screenshots or videos to share with others?
• Have you asked someone on your "inner circle" to look over your shoulder to make sure you didn’t just make a bone-headed mistake?
• Have you enabled all the logs you can? In GP, for instance, there’s at least three Windows event logs and also some auxiliary logs for "GP-related" functions like MSI packages, etc.

Of course in my class, you'll learn incredibly practical tips on troubleshooting Group Policy specifically, with precise step-by-steps using what I've learned over the years.

That will help you get out of hot water faster and back in business usually the same day.

See you in class.. !